


Battery Acid Sweet

by Massing1



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Massing1/pseuds/Massing1
Summary: Is Gibbs really wearing yesterday's shirt?
Relationships: Gibbs - Relationship, Sloane - Relationship
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Battery Acid Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> Of the short stories I've posted so far, the most popular is a Gibbs/Sloane vignette. So I thought I'd try a slightly longer story. I hope you enjoy.

Battery Acid Sweet

His left arm was numb. Not just pins and needles numb, devoid of any feeling at all numb. Like it would never move of its own accord ever again numb. He didn't care. She lay curled up against him, her head resting on the numb arm, sleeping peacefully. He guessed that didn’t happen all that often and that just maybe, he was the reason for it tonight. He sighed and nestled around her contentedly. Her hair was soft and smooth and smelled vaguely of coconut.

He looked around the unfamiliar room. Feminine and poised. It reflected its owner well. Lots of books – some of which he actually recognized. A very old teddy bear sitting on a chair in the corner. He stared at the bear across the darkened room. It stared back. “It’s okay" he thought at it, “I won't hurt her. You have my word - man to bear.”

His watch beeped softly. 0530 – "damn." He didn’t want the morning to come so soon. He just wanted to lie here – safe and warm and sheltered from the world. 

The watch beeped again. “Traitor,” he thought. Sighing, he carefully slid his arm from beneath her sleeping form and crept out of bed. He looked around at the hastily discarded clothing strewn around the floor. Ah, there were his pants, so inside those should be ... yep, shorts. He strained his eyes against the darkness for his undershirt. Grabbing it he set off for the bathroom. 

Flashes of the previous night darted across his mind. Vivid and stimulating. He looked down at his quickly developing erection.

"Stand down Marine," he ordered, "She's sleeping. There'll be time for more of that later ... I hope. Right now though, it's coffee time." He ambled off happily toward the kitchen.

He opened the refrigerator. He found milk, butter, half a bottle of wine and some something resembling a culture lab that might have been pastrami in a previous life. He smiled to himself at how similar they were sometimes. 

He stood up and glanced around for the coffee pot ... And there it was - top of the range and heavily used. He opened the coffee canister next to it and breathed in the heavenly aroma. It always smelled so good first thing in the morning. Battery acid black and four sugars, he remembered.

He headed back to the bedroom with the coffee. She had slid across to his side of the bed and lay face down in the pillow.

He wafted her coffee cup in front of her as he took a sip of his own. So good – best cup of the day, his Dad used to say and who was he to argue. 

She stirred at the delicious aroma and looked up from the pillow. He smiled broadly at her. “Good morning!” he said cheerfully.

She looked at her alarm clock and winced. Her head was pounding. She must have been nuts to think she could keep up with him last night. “Um ... hi.” She managed. She sat up and grabbed desperately for the coffee.

He kissed her cheek tenderly and then stood. “I’m gonna grab a quick shower before we head over to mine.”

“My God, he's a morning person!” she thought. She could hear whistling from behind the bathroom door. “Why d'we have get up this early? Why d'we have to go to his place?” She thought in a wave of confusion and alcohol. 

He came bouncing back into the bedroom - a towel wrapped around his waist. He was just far too awake and smiley. She wasn’t used to it. Where was Grumpy Gibbs – the one they all knew and loved?

“So why are we driving to yours?” she wanted to know.

“I have to get a change of clothes.” He smiled bashfully, her heart melted some more. “I didn’t realise I would be staying last night so I didn’t bring anything with me.”

“You could wear that shirt another day surely? No one would notice.”

Gibbs laughed loudly. “Twenty bucks says Bishop notices before I’ve gotten out of the elevator. Then the whole building will know by lunchtime.”

“From just a shirt?”

He gave a knowing nod of his head. “I'm telling ya! I've seen it happen before. D'you remember when Pamela found out she was pregnant and we all had to pretend like we didn't know? And that was Bishop finding a pickle jar in the break area that wasn’t hers.”

She reached up and took his hand. “But couldn’t you just do it this once though? Come back to bed. It’s nice and warm and I want to hold you a while longer. We'd have at least another hour that way.” Her eyes pleaded far more than her words. How could see say no to that? Another hour in her arms was too great a temptation. He dropped the towel as he reached for her.

“Oh, good morning!” she smiled as they lay back down together.

###

“Did you see? Did you see that? He's wearing the same shirt,” said Ellie excitedly as she fed another dollar into vending machine.

“He is not.” Argued Nick rolling his eyes. “That never happens. It'll just be a similar one. Maybe he bought them in a sale.”

“I'm telling you Nick, it’s the same one.” 

“The same one what?” asked McGee as he walked across the break area towards the coffee pot.

“Ellie thinks Gibbs is wearing the same shirt from yesterday. I told her she was wrong.” Nick explained.

Gibbs marched past them heading towards the Bullpen. “Are any of you going to do some work today?” he snapped as he went by. McGee grabbed Ellie's arm as she scooted past him to catch up with the Boss. “You're right,” he whispered.

“I know,” she replied.

###

Everyone in the office knew to avoid venturing across the Bullpen unless their life depended on it. But today was different. Like a dozen others that morning, Harvey walked down between the international desks to stare across the partition. His eyes drifted toward the back of Gibbs' neck. He crouched closer and pursed his lips. He wasn’t as sure as some of the others. It might be the same one. 

Gibbs thought he felt something on the back of his head. It wasn’t the first time this morning either. He reached up and brushed the nape of his neck. Perhaps there was a bug flying about. The sudden movement made Harvey jump in alarm. He stood abruptly and hurried off toward the photocopier.

Gibbs stood, “I'm heading down to Kasie, see what she's got.”

“Okay Boss,” said the others without looking up. As soon as he reached the elevator, Ellie and Nick ran for the mezzanine stairs and Jack's office.

They found Sloane at her desk nursing her third coffee of the morning and staring intently at a case file. 

“Hey Jack,” sang Ellie brightly. “Have you noticed anything strange about Gibbs today?”

Sloane looked up trying to look confused rather than startled. My God, he was right!” she panicked.  
“No ... no. What? Did he smile at someone? It’s been over a month, he’s due to do it soon.” 

Ellie sat in the chair opposite and reached for a green lollipop. “No, even more strange ...” She leaned towards Jack conspiratorially. “He's wearing the same shirt as yesterday.”

Jack took off her glasses and threw them on the desk in what she hoped was an incredulous manner. “Oh don’t be ridiculous. He never does that.”

Nick had been leaning against the door frame. He straightened up and entered the room. “That’s what I told her.”

Sloane acknowledged him and nodded. “Right. And even if it was the same shirt, there could be a million reasons why. Right Nick?”

Nick agreed. “Yes, like maybe he was on a stake out and came straight into work?”

Sloane agreed vigorously. “Or maybe, ... maybe, his iron broke and he couldn’t iron a fresh one?” She nodded frantically, her gaze darting between the two other agents.

Ellie looked innocently at her. “Or maybe he bought more than one in a sale and this is a different one?”

Jack slammed her hand dramatically on the desk. “That must be it! Yes, I’m sure he said he'd been shopping in the sales. Yes, that’s it.” She put her glasses back on and looked up at the curious agents. “Anyway, I gotta get back to work. It’s been fun.”

The two agents closed the door behind them. “So, what'dya think?” asked Ellie.

“Oh, they so did it,” replied Nick with a grin.

Behind her office door, Sloane planted her forehead down on her desk. She hadn’t fooled anyone.

###

In the lab Gibbs was doing his best not to lose his temper. He’d found Jimmy there hanging around waiting for DNA results and chatting to Kasie as she worked.

As Kasie tried her best to explain automobile paint matching in the fewest syllables possible, Jim stared none too subtly at Gibbs’ cuff as it travelled to and from his mouth with his coffee cup. 

Gibbs turned and stared fiercely at him. “What?” he snapped.

“I ... I ... was just wondering if you have ever sustained any kind of repetitive strain injury from the constant lifting and drinking from take out cups?”

Gibbs pulled a face and rolled his eyes dramatically. Had the whole world gone mad today? “Don't be ridiculous, Palmer.” He complained. 

Jimmy readjusted his glasses as he thought. “No, no. Think about it Gibbs.” The doctor replied earnestly at the rapidly blossoming idea. “How many cups do you drink a day? Multiply that by days of the week and weeks in the years. That’s a lot of repetitive movement. You may well have damaged ligaments or nerves in your arm. Now, take off your jacket a moment.”

Gibbs was annoyed. “Are you serious?” He turned to Kasie, “Is he serious?”  
Kasie held up her hands innocently. 

“Don’t ask me, I'm just looking for paint colours, here. Maybe he's been too close to the formaldehyde again.”

Jimmy looked over the top of his glasses at his reluctant Supervisory Agent and folded his arms. “Don’t make me turn this into a formal request Agent Gibbs. You know I can.”

With a huff, Gibbs threw his now empty cup into the trash can and took off his jacket. Jimmy nodded to Kasie. “Good, now we're getting somewhere.”

Standing facing his reluctant patient, the good doctor began to put each joint of Gibbs right arm through a series of motion tests. He um-ed and ah-ed studiously. Asked if there was any pain, pins and needles or numbness. He asked Gibbs to wiggle his fingers. As he did so, Jimmy stroked the shirt sleeve absently. “Okay, now make a fist.”

“You shouldn’t tempt me like that,” warned Gibbs. Jimmy snapped back out of his complacency in a hurry. He stared down at Gibbs' clenched fist and took a step back.

“Okay, well everything seems to be just fine over here.” He looked over to Kasie as she slipped an encased swab into her pocket. “Did you get anything useful Kasie.”

Kasie smiled, “I sure did. While you were busy with your aerobics Agent Gibbs I can tell you the paint was a match to a 2010 Chevy Silverado truck. I don’t know if that's any help - that’s for you and yours to decide.” She handed the paper report to Gibbs. He made an off key grunting noise and left the lab.

Once their coast was clear the two scientists breathed a sigh of relief and 'high fived'. Kasie took the swab from her pocket. “Let’s see what the back of his shirt can tell us?”

###

The end of another day. Gibbs and Sloane left in the elevator together. They let out a collective sigh as the doors closed. 

“D’you think we got away with it?” Jack whispered as she hung on to his arm suddenly exhausted.

Gibbs chuckled and smiled. He patted her hand paternally. “Not even close.” He replied ruefully.

Back on the third floor, Kasie came skipping through the Bullpen, a sheet of paper in her hand. “The science never lies, ladies and gentlemen! Yesterday was the 27th which means ... I won!”  
She did a little dance. “I won. I never win anything. Hot damn! I won the sweepstake! Yay me!”


End file.
